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On August 18, 2025, a familicide occurred in Madbury, New Hampshire, United States when 34-year-old Emily Long shot and killed her husband Ryan Long, 48, and two of their children in their home before committing suicide.
Emily Long attended Oyster River High School in Durham and graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in hospitality management.[1] From 2018 to her death,[2] she worked as the director of operations at the Seacoast Region restaurant chain Wing-itz,[1][3][4][5][6] which has locations in Dover, Hampton and Newmarket.[7] Her husband Ryan received a bachelor's and master's degree in counseling from UNH[1] and was a psychologist at Oyster River Middle School for the nine years prior to his death.[1] He had previously worked as a psychologist at Oyster River High School and Moharimet Elementary School in Madbury, where their children attended.[4] The family lived on 14 Moharimet Drive;[4][8] Emily grew up in the neighborhood and moved away, before returning in recent years after purchasing their home.[4] Ryan Long was well-known in town.[9]
Ryan Long had been diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, which took a toll on his wife's mental health.[1][6][10] In April 2025, Emily started documenting her husband's cancer treatment and the impact on her family and mental health through dozens of videos on TikTok.[1][3][4] She talked about her fears, grief,[4] worries about finances and becoming a single parent,[3] and feeling lonely and anxious,[10] as well as her children showing signs of grief.[4] In her final video, posted two days before the murders, she discussed her struggle with depression. She said, "I'm trying to get myself out of the rut. Our kids are definitely struggling, and now I'm starting to notice some changes in our 3-year-old."[6][11] Her account was made private following the incident.[11]
On August 28, 2025, Wing-itz owner Derek Fisher revealed that Emily Long had embezzled as much as $660,000 from his business in the years leading up to the killings.[2][7][12][13] He had overlooked this because he was focusing on expanding the restaurant chain, and became aware when the company's bank alerted him on June 18, 2025.[7] Fisher and his bookkeeper looked into a large number of checks that Long had written from his business account into her personal bank accounts.[2][12][13] He confronted her that day and asked her to provide her personal bank statements of the last three months.[2][12][13] Long offered no explanation,[2] and sent them on August 5 but they were missing pages and looked unusual.[13] Fisher checked with the bank, which confirmed that the statements were manipulated and doctored.[2][12][13] He confronted Long again on August 8 at the Hampton Wing-itz[12] and asked her to go with him to the bank. She declined, and Fisher was understanding given her husband's battle with cancer. They agreed to meet at the bank on August 11, but she did not show up and instead texted Fisher that she could resign, he could fire her, or she could begin working remotely.[12][13] which left him confused.[2] As he and his bookkeeper continued looking into the business's records, they discovered that the thefts began in January 2023.[13] On August 11, Long texted Fisher that she would resign.[7] That afternoon, Fisher went to the Hampton Police Department and filed a complaint against Long,[7][12][13] as he felt he had no other option,[12] alerting the Dover and Newmarket police as well. The next day, Long sent him an apology in a text message.[7] According to Fisher, she had also taken $2,300 in cash from the restaurants.[12] The murder-suicide occurred before the police could complete their investigation.[13] Because they did not investigate thoroughly before the killings, the police could not determine if the allegations would have resulted in charges.[12] It is unclear if the embezzlement allegations played a role in the murder-suicide.[2][7] The New Hampshire Attorney General's office has warned the public against speculating what may have prompted Long's actions[7][12] and stated that such cases usually have multiple factors.[2]
Murders
The murders occurred around 5:30 a.m. on August 18, 2025.[14] Emily Long allegedly took a handgun from the home and fatally shot her husband and their two oldest children. She committed suicide by shooting herself immediately thereafter. New Hampshire State Police responded to the family's home at 8:21 p.m. after receiving a call reporting that several people were dead inside. Troopers entered the house, where they discovered the bodies of four individuals. The family's youngest child, a three-year-old boy, was found alive and unharmed and has since been staying with other family members.[1][3][4][5][6][9][10][11][14] A gun was found near the family.[9]
Victims
The victims were Ryan Long, 48, his son Parker, 8, and daughter Ryan, 6. Their deaths were ruled homicides.[1][3][4][5][6][9][10][11][14] Autopsies were performed on August 20 and determined that the father, Ryan Long, died from multiple gunshot wounds, while Emily and the children each died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Emily's wound was self-inflicted.[5][6][10][11][14][15]
The Oyster River Cooperative School District community is heartbroken by the tragic loss of four community members. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time.
We have partnered with local school districts and organizations to provide mental health support for our students and their families, and our staff.
As we prepare for the coming school year, our commitment remains to the well-being of our students, staff, and their families. Out of respect for everyone involved, we will not be making further comments.[16]
The Long family's deaths were mourned throughout Madbury,[9] as well as in the neighboring towns of Durham and Lee.[8] Members of the community dropped off flowers on their driveway.[9] Neighbor Bill Hall began taking care of the family's dogs, Cooper and Pasta.[5]
On August 20, 2025, the Lee Fire Association held an event at the Lee Fire Station to support the community and raise money for the Long family's surviving child.[5][8] The next night, a vigil hosted by Madbury United Church was held at the family's house.[8]
Derek Fisher stated that he was devastated by the incident[13] and does not plan to seek recovery from the Long family estate, saying that the money should instead go to the surviving child.[2][12][13]
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